Coast to Coast and Back...with Dogs & Baby - need help

[nantasket]

Looking to drive Boston - Yellowstone and back. It will be me, husband, 6 month old baby, 2 dogs. We are considering trailering a small camper or maybe staying at hotels.

Can a round trip coast to coast be done in about 3 weeks? We want to see Grand Canyon & Yellowstone but I am looking dor suggestions for must sees along the way (Shenandoah Valley perhaps).

Looking for the best route and would prefer to make a loop, not drive the same road home.

Can anyone point us in a good direction??

[metsno1]

Wow, that's ambitious. You could DO it, but I highly doubt you'd enjoy a trip of that many miles in three weeks. I think you really need to choose either the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone and create your loop from there.

Given the cost of gas at this point, you might also consider flying west, and renting a car out there. The dogs might present a problem with that scenario, though. Not sure what the airlines are charging for pets these days, or if you're willing to let them fly in the cargo hold area. If it's an option you'd consider, I'd look into the specifics. This August, we're flying to Vegas and driving from there. It worked out to be a pretty significant cost savings and gave us more time at our destinations. (No dogs on this trip for us, though. We're hiring a house sitter to stay with them for a few weeks.)

Good luck and have fun with the planning...

[nantasket]

thanks metsno, we considered flying one way but bulldogs do not do well in the heat of a cargo hold. ATA used to allow them in the cabin, but they are bankrupt. I don't know of another airline that would. Heck, I'd buy them a seat if they let me : )

Maybe we will choose one destination (GC probably), I just don't know where to begin on choosing a route. We really want to bring a camper but we would be limited to sites with hookups for AC for the dogs, so hotels may be the only option.

I'd love any insight or suggestions from anyone who has made a similar trip!

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

I'm in full agreement with metsno1 on the need to choose just one destination for this trip. You'll need to keep your total miles to around 5,000 miles or so to really enjoy this drive. When I used to travel with my own dog (English Setter, mostly) he did very well in the car, but thrived on being able to get out and run, sniff, and 'hunt' every 2-3 hours. Fortunately, we recently compiled some sample lists of just how/where one can do just that along the major Interstates. As for picking a basic route, there are several on line mapping routines (and also look at Google Maps) that will do that for you.

AZBuck